


Claustrophobia

by Tashilover



Series: Linked Universe [5]
Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Linked Universe, Psychological Horror
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-27
Updated: 2019-11-30
Packaged: 2019-12-18 14:35:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18251813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tashilover/pseuds/Tashilover
Summary: Wild shows the group the Resurrection Shrine. It doesn't go well.A Linked Universe fic.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a *slightly* darker fic than the others I've written, but nothing too bad. 
> 
> Based off of Jojo's creation, https://linkeduniverse.tumblr.com/

From where Twilight stood, the lands of Hyrule had never looked more beautiful. There was greenery as far as the eye could see, mountains so big they touched the sky. Even at the distance Twilight was at, the sun beaming down on faraway lakes twinkled like a million diamonds.

"Take a look at that," Twilight whistled. "That's some view."

"It was the first thing I saw when I walked out of the Resurrection shrine," said Wild.

"Must've been a nice surprise after that hundred year nap you took. Wow. What was on your mind when you saw this?"

"Hunger, mostly."

"Naturally."

Twilight wasn't the only one enjoying the view. Hyrule was sketching out the twin peak mountains in the distance. Wind and Legend were sitting on the edge of the cliff, letting their legs swing. Sky had borrowed Wind's telescope to bird watch. Warriors was taking a nap underneath the shade of a nearby tree, and Swords was busy popping apple pieces into his mouth, sighing contently as the wind blew.

The only who was off on their own was Time. He stood further down the path, staring silently at the dilapidated temple a few hundred feet away.

"What's that temple down there?" Twilight asked.

"Hmm? Oh... um, the Temple of Time. There's nothing in there but a goddess statue."

Oh geeze. No wonder the old man has been quiet during this entire trip.

"Is something wrong?"

"No," said Twilight, turning away. "But let's give the guy some space. Where's the shrine?"

The cave leading to the shrine was immensely cool, and the first step inside had Twilight shivering. As the others followed, they too shuddered lightly, rubbing at their arms and chuckling good heartedly about it.

"Was it always this cold?" Sky asked.

Wild shrugged. "I don't remember. It has been a while since I've been back here. Watch your step, there's a drop over here."

It was even colder now. Water dripped off of the walls and soaked in their boots. Twilight could not pinpoint where the source of light was coming from. He supposed he could write it off as magic and leave it at that, but that put a sour taste in his mouth.

The cave gave way into a larger room, and the group was greeted by the sight of the Ressurection shrine.

A sudden silence came over the group as they took in the sight. Wild stood off to the side, watching their reactions with a small amused smirk on his lips.

"It's not going to bite," he said. "You can all walk in further."

Hyrule spoke first. "I didn't expect the shrine to look like this."

"Like what?"

"Well, you said it looked like a glowing chamber. I mean, that's exactly what it is, but..."

 _It looks like a coffin,_ Twilight thought grimly.

"...it's ugly," Hyrule finished. "Sorry, that sounded callous."

Wild waved it off. "I didn't build it. But I can see what you're getting at. Oh, is Warriors still outside?"

"Still sleeping? Yeah."

"I should go get him. The sun can get hotter than expected around here. I'll be right back."

Despite the water on the floor and walls, there was no sign of moss or decay. The air however stunk like old laundry. As Twilight neared the actual chamber itself, the temperature dropped even more. Why was it so cold?

"I don't like this thing," said Legend as soon as Wild left. Legend circled the chamber, his arms were crossed his chest, keeping his hands to himself. "The merging of technology and magic doesn't seem to sit well."

Hyrule nodded. "It's quite grotesque. But no matter how we think it looks, it did its job amazingly. It saved Wild's life."

"True. Maybe we're being too critical of it."

Were they? No matter the angle Twilight looked at it, it was goddamn coffin. The chamber was small, not designed for anyone over a certain weight or height. It looked tight, not allowing a lot of wiggle room. Twilight didn't have claustrophobia, but the thought of being in this thing even for a few seconds made his skin crawl.

Wind came over and jumped onto the platform, laying down flat upon it. He wiggled in place, trying to find a comfortable spot. "This thing feels like a rock."

"You're also very short," said Twilight. "This wasn't designed for a small boy."

"Still hard to believe he slept in this for a hundred years. No eating, no drinking, no..."

Wind trailed off. Slowly he sat up, his eyes still turned upwards as his brows furrowed.

 _"What the hell is this?"_ He whispered.

"What is?"

Wind reached up to the top portion of the chamber. Twilight bent down to see.

There, sitting on the roof of this Sheikah-made coffin, were scratch marks. Dozens of them. Some were barely noticeable. Others were scratched in so deep, they looked like they were made by a knife.

"What is...?" Wind's own fingers pressed against the scratches, slotting in perfectly. He raked them down, creating the worst noise Twilight has ever heard.

Everyone at the same time realized what these were and who made them.

"Oh goddess!" Wind cursed in absolute horror. He immediately threw himself off the platform and backed away, wrapping his arms around himself.

"Is that what we think it is?" Swords demanded. He blinked, realizing something. "Does he know? Does Wild know?"

Twilight felt sick. The longer he stared at the shrine, the worse the feeling got. Hysteria was creeping up on him, and he fought to keep it down. It wasn't easy when his mind kept offering him images of Wild, banging desperately on the enclosed walls around him, unable to move.

He was supposed to be asleep. _He was supposed to be asleep._

Twilight snarled, "Nobody _fucking_ tell him."

"Tell me what?"

Everyone twirled around. Wild was standing by the entrance. Warriors was next to him, yawning and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"Why do all of you look like you've seen a ghost?" Warriors asked.

"Tell me what?" Wild said again, coming closer. "Did you find something?"

There was an uneasy silence as the group looked to each other, not knowing what to say.

Twilight bit the inside of his cheek. He stepped forward. "We did find something. But for your sake, I highly suggest you stay away."

Wild made a face. "Are you serious? What was it? Just tell me."

He tried to walk past. Twilight put a hand on his chest, halting him.

"Don't."

For a second, it looked as if Wild was going to take Twilight's command seriously. He moved back with a slight nod of understanding, but as his eyes went back towards the chamber, curiosity won out, and Wild stepped aside Twilight's outstretched arm.

Twilight thought about hauling him back. This was not going to end well and they all knew it. Could Twilight blame him though? If given a chance to learn more about himself, good or bad, why should he give that up? Still though. As Wild neared the shrine, Twilight readied himself for any possible reaction.

Wild looked.

There was a brief pause as he took it all in. He slowly pulled away from it.

 _"Huh..."_ He said.

Then without another word, he pulled his Sheikah slate from his hip and tapped it twice. His body began to shine blue.

Twilight rushed forward. "Goddamn it, no!"

Wild's body shattered into a million strings of light, disappearing from view, leaving Twilight to grab at nothing but air.

"Fuck!" Twilight cursed. "I'm going after him. I'll meet you lot at Kakariko Village."

He ran for the entrance of the cave. From behind, the last thing he heard before shifting into a wolf was Warriors yelling, _"What the hell just happened?"_


	2. Chapter 2

No matter how far his companions were, how gone they appeared to be, Twilight will _always_ find them.

For the first couple hours of traveling, worry urged him on. Even when his body demanded rest and his feet screamed for relief, he kept going. When he realized Wild had traveled much further than anticipated, he finally stopped to rest.

Once he filled his empty belly with unseasoned, overcooked rabbit, (how spoiled he's become, feasting on Wild's cooking every day) it became clear where Wild had gone to: Hateno Village.

Of course. Wild had his house there, didn't he? He talked about bringing the group there to show it off, promising to make a big meal for all of them. They had planned to go after the shrine.

Twilight spent the next two days traveling. By the time he got to Hateno Village, his concern had burned down to a constant buzz in his belly. He was so tired, all he wanted to sleep, but he knew he wouldn't be able to until he laid his eyes on the kid.

Once Twilight passed under the sign declaring the village's name, he paused momentarily to appreciate how lovely this village looked. It was so calm, so full of life. Children chased each other over through the tall grass, waving sticks and running after insects. Women happily talked amongst themselves, their baskets full of freshly washed laundry, and when some of them passed Twilight, they gave him an appreciative look.

As Twilight sniffed the air, trying to determine the direction of Wild's house, one woman stopped next to him.

"Link? Is that you?"

Twilight turned to her. She blinked.

"Oh!" She said. "My mistake. You look so much like my neighbor."

"I'm his brother," Twilight lied. "I'm actually trying to find his house, but I'm a little lost."

"Brother! That explains it! It's very nice to meet you... ah...?"

"Ordon," Twilight lied again.

"Ordon. Well, I'm actually on my way in that direction. I can show you the way."

"I very much appreciate that."

The woman led Twilight up a hill, passing several box-shaped houses and one of those damnable shrines.

"So..." The woman started. "Is Link single?"

"What?"

"Is he married?" She asked again. "Does he have a girlfriend or...?"

Honestly, Twilight didn't know. Traveling didn't allow them much time for relationships. Even the old man had said how hard it was for him, and he's known Malon since childhood. Twilight was about to say no, but the woman was clearly fishing for something.

"Yes," he lied for the third time. "Her name is... Impa."

"Oh. Well, that's good to know, I suppose. Some of the other women were just wondering, cause he lives in this house all by himself and... well did you know he paid the contractor, Bolson, _thirty thousand rupees_ for that house? A lot of money for someone so young. Dunno why he lives here if he's so rich. What about you, Mr. Ordon? Are you single-"

"I see his house," Twilight said. "Thank you for taking me here, I can find the rest of the way myself."

"Oh, alright then. You have a nice day, Mr. Ordon. Be sure to call upon me again if you need directions."

Thank goodness Wild chose a house the furthest away from the rest of the villages. The thought of dealing with _that_ everyday must be exhausting.

Wild didn't have his front door locked. Perhaps a poor choice on his part, but at least Twilight didn't have to break in.

His house was very nice. Twilight admired the weapons hanging on the wall, wondering why Wild even bothered using monster weapons when he had these ready.

A quick search through the house revealed it to be empty. No protégé.

Was Twilight wrong in his assessment? A quick sniff assured him that Wild had come here recently, but this entire village had his scent. He could be anywhere.

"Fuck," he said to the empty room.

 

 

 

 

 

He stayed the night, his body demanding rest no matter what. The next morning he felt much better to take on the day. He felt a little guilty about eating the food reserves Wild had in his cabinets, but he'll repay him later. Wild wasn't the only one with a large rupee bag.

Twilight talked to other villagers, and they told him Wild liked to visit the windmill on the very peak of Hateno Village.

"They're strange scientists, they are," said the villagers in that gossipy tone of theirs. "I hear they like to do _things_ to animals..."

Once Twilight started climbing the hill, Wild's scent became more centralized. It seems the other villagers took to heart about the strange windmill and its habitants and have refused to come near.

At the top, Twilight didn't bother knocking.

"Wild?" He said as soon as the door opened. Inside, the two occupants startled at his sudden appearance.

The little girl standing on a stool by a table gasped. _"Who are you?"_

"I'm looking for my brother, Link. Is he here?"

"Brother? Brother! Oh my goodness, I need to write this down!"

She grabbed the pen from her ear and started jotting down what he said into a book.

"Um..." Twilight continued. He looked to the man in the back. "So is he here?"

He stepped in further, wondering if he made a mistake coming here. He suddenly noticed the Sheikah unit to the left of him. It was one of those things Wild used for his slate.

The little girl gasped again. "He recognizes it, Symin! Even though he's from a completely different timeline, he knows what that is!"

Twilight jerked. She knew? Before Twilight could get another word out, the little girl jumped down from her chair, scurried over like a hungry cucco, and kicked him in the back of the knee. His leg collapsed and with a grunt, Twilight fell to a kneeling position.

The girl grabbed him by the ear, pulling him closer to her face as she shoved a light into his eyes.

"Ah, yes! Even the facial structure differs! Hair color, eye color... my goodness, tattoos? I thought it was war paint! Absolutely amazing! Symin, help me undress him, I need to know if he bears the same birthmarks."

Gritting his teeth, Twilight wrenched his ear out of her grasp and stood up, moving away should she decide to kick him again.

"What the _hell_ is going on here?" He demanded. "The two of you better tell me where my companion went or else-"

"Or else _what,_ hero?" The little girl said, placing her hands on her hips. "You'll hurt us? Not very heroic, is it?"

The man, Symin, stepped forward. "Purah, I don't think we should tease. He's clearly distressed, and I don't think putting him under a microscope is going to help."

Purah pouted dramatically. "Oh fine! Spoil my fun, would you? Alright then, Second-Link, please come in and make yourself at home."


	3. Chapter 3

Who the hell puts a laboratory in a windmill?

Honestly the whole thing seemed like an intentional design flaw. Twilight rapped his fingers on the paper-covered table, watching as Symin brought over a tray of tea and biscuits. Twilight didn't want fucking tea and biscuits. He wanted to know where Wild went and be on his way. The longer he sat there, the more annoyed he got with his hosts.

The little girl, Purah, was right though. He wasn't going to beat up or intimidate them. Still, as Symin handed him a cup of tea, all Twilight wanted to do was drop it to the floor next to him. He begrudgingly took a sip. It was good.

Purah took a long sip of tea before speaking. "Now then... Is your name Link as well?"

"Yes," said Twilight curtly.

"Absolutely amazing. Even across time and space, all the heroes have the same name. That must be incredibly confusing. How do you tell each other apart?"

"We refer to each other by the titles given to us by the royal family."

"And what's your title?"

"Twilight."

Purah gave out a high-pitch giggle and clapped her hands. "How romantic! When Link wrote to me, telling me he's met several heroes, I thought he was merely kidding."

"Excuse me? Why would he contact a little girl?"

"Miss Purah isn't actually a little girl," said Symin. "She was experimenting with an ancient Sheikah machine and accidentally turned herself small."

"Snap!" Said Purah. "Just like that. Could be the key to immortality, but unfortunately I haven't found a way to duplicate it, and living life as a stunted child isn't as much fun as some people might think it is."

"So..." Twilight said. "You're a scientist."

"The best in the world!"

"Then tell me what you know of the Resurrection Shrine."

"Oh...?" Purah's eyes lit up behind those huge goggles of hers. "You know of it? I supposed you would, with Link as your companion. Er... what's his title?"

"Wild."

"Well that's boring," Purah huffed. "Not very imaginative, is it? But anyways, we found the shrine after an earthquake unearthed it. Absolute marvel. Have you seen it?"

"Yes," said Twilight.

Purah didn't seem to notice his clipped tone. "I studied it for _years_. I spent so many sleepless nights pondering over it. The king only allowed small animal experimentations, so in the beginning I had to be content in only using rabbits and foxes."

"And how did you conclude the person inside would lose their memory?"

"Goodness, you do know a lot, don't you? To answer your question... we found a few ancient texts explaining how the shrine works. It's one of the reasons why I spent so many years studying it. Yes, it can heal any wound, regardless how fatal it may be, but the trade off is memory issues."

Purah leaned forward, intertwining her fingers together and resting her chin on them. "Why do you ask? Has Wild shown any progress of regaining his memory?"

"Do you know?"

"Know what?"

"The truth about the shrine," Twilight said slowly.

Purah's face gave nothing away, even as Symin took a hesitant step forward.

"What do you mean?" He asked. "I've read the ancient texts myself. Everything Purah has said is truth."

"Not quite," Twilight said. He kept his eyes on Purah, waiting. "So I am asking again... did you know?"

"I know what you're asking," said Purah. "And the answer is yes."

Twilight stood up sharply, knocking his chair backwards with a loud bang. He grabbed the edge of the table, and flung it off to the side like it was barrier he needed to bring down. Tea cups shattered on the stone floor, sending shards of glass and splotches of tea everywhere. Symin squealed and jumped back.

Purah had no reaction to this. She leaned back in her chair, as calm as a butterfly landing on a flower.

She eyed her broken tea set. "Link did write that you had a bit of a temper."

"How could you?" Twilight asked. An animalistic growl erupted from his throat. "The way you talk about him, like he's your friend!"

"You assume too much, young hero. You think I wanted that for him? You think I never told him of the consequences? _He insisted he be put in there._ "

Twilight jerked as if he'd been slapped. "What?"

"My goodness," Purah said, huffing. "I'm the six year old here, but you're the one acting like a child. The man you know as Wild was not the same person a hundred years ago. Not mentally, physically, or emotionally. The moment _my_ Link woke up in the morning till the moment he laid his head on the pillow at night, his thoughts were only to protect this kingdom and its princess. He was so duty-bound, I'm sure if the king ordered him to break his own finger, he'd do it without hesitation. And when he learned of the shrine... he told me if there was no choice, to put him in it, consequences be damned."

Twilight shook his head. "No... there's no way... no way someone would willing put himself through that...!"

"You did not know that man. You only know who he is now. Tell me, Twilight... If you knew the only thing standing in between Hyrule and oblivion was you... would you do it?"

Twilight didn't want to answer that. He already knew what he would say.

_-without hesitation-_

He stared at the shattered glass on the ground.

"I'm sorry I broke your cups," he said.

Purah waved it off. "Don't worry. I'll make Symin buy me a new set."

"What?" Said Symin.

 

 

 

 

 

Twilight insisted he'd be the one to buy the new tea set. After he cleaned up the mess, he went down the hill to the marketplace. He bought the nicest, most expensive set he could find while avoiding eye contact with the Hylian woman from earlier.

When he got back to the windmill, Purah held out a folded piece of parchment to him.

"What's this?" He asked as he set down the tea set onto the table.

"What Wild came for a few days ago," Purah said. "Proof."

"Proof?"

He took the parchment and unfolded it. He read it quickly.

"Oh Hylia..." he murmured.

It was Link giving his consent to be put into the Resurrections Shrine should he ever fall in battle. Not only did he sign it, but the former king of Hyrule stamped it with the official royal seal.

Twilight gave the parchment back. "Do you know where he went?"

"He went north. He could be visiting my brother in Akkala, but I honestly don't know."

"Thank you. I'll find him, don't you worry."

"I have no doubt. Please come back soon. I would love to experiment on you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just fyi, we are NOT visiting Robbie. I find that guy creepy


	4. Chapter 4

It took Twilight a week to get to Akkala tower.

He's spent so long chasing Wild's barely-there scent, when he finally caught wind of a fresh trail, it almost didn't feel real. He had no plans of giving up, but knowing Wild could teleport anywhere within seconds certainly had Twilight slowing in his haste. To be sure the scent was real, he stopped and sniffed the air.

Every hero had their own individual scent. Warriors smelled like gun powder and tobacco, though Warriors swore up and down he didn't smoke. Wind smelled like the sea, of salt and fish and fresh rain. Wild's scent was similar to that of Hyrule. Both of them smelled like the earth, of fresh soil and ash. But what Wild was probably unawares of, he also carried the scent of _royalty_. His time with the princess and the royal guard left a permanent scent of frankincense on his clothes and skin. Not even Time, who had the princess officiate his wedding, smelled like that.

When Twilight confirmed this was indeed his protégé, he ran up the tower with renewed energy.

Goddamn him, this was a long climb. On any other day he would have loved to explore. There was so much history here, so much beauty to be had. As he ran, he ignored the overturned, twisted bodies of the Guardians. He only gave the bright red trees only a quick, fleeting glance. By now, his worry for his young protégé had come back in full force. There was only so much a person could endure before breaking, and he was sure Wild had broke.

Twilight rounded the last part of the tower. He turned, expecting the worse.

Wild looked up from his cooking pot to him. "Oh... hello."

Years ago in Ordon, a cow accidentally kicked Twilight in the head while he was milking her. The kick had stunned him badly. He laid there on the floor of the barn, warm milk pooling at his back, his brain empty of thought. Ilia found him like that nearly five minutes later.

Seeing Wild squatting there by the fire, making himself a meal like it was just a regular day of the week, felt no different than getting kicked in the head. Twilight gaped at him, trying to process what he was seeing.

Wild took a bite of his foot. He offered the spoon to Twilight. "Want some?"

That broke him out of it. Twilight blinked, took a step forward and said, "Want some? _Want some?_ Are you _fucking_ kidding me?"

Wild pulled back his arm. "You could just say no."

"Do you have any goddamn clue what I've been through _looking for you?_ " Twilight continued. "How long it took me to find you? This entire time I thought you were hurt! That you've gone _insane!_ And you've just been sitting here... _eating?_ God _damn_ it, kid! Look- I understand, alright? We all understand! But you're not the only one who has gone through trauma! You're not the only one who's suffered and felt pain! We still have a job to do, and we don't have the luxury to leave! You're not alone in this! You have friends to call upon, you can rely on _me_ to help you! We know better than anyone else in this world what it's like to carry the burden of the gods! But taking off like that is not the answer!"

His words came out in a rush, leaving him drained. God, what an emotional whiplash.

Wild took another bite. He chewed slowly. "Got that all out of your system?"

Twilight twitched, not liking this blasé tone. "Yeah..."

"Hmmm..." Wild swallowed, put the spoon back, and stood up from the pot. "Alright, I just got one question to ask... who are you?"

Twilight felt the blood rush out of him. "...what?"

"I mean, it's quite obvious you know who I am," Wild continued. "But you're... a blank to me. Sorry about that. Your speech seemed really important to you, but quite honestly all of it kinda went over my head."

Twilight struggled on what to do next. Out of all the scenarios he imagined, never once did he consider Wild's fragile memory could be wiped away again. How was this possible? This had to be temporary. A defense mechanism to keep him safe while his subconscious handled the memory of getting buried alive. That had to be it. This was temporary. Right?

Right?

"I..." Twilight started. "Look, we can deal with all this... later. Right now, let's get you to a doctor. I'm sure the others are worried sick-"

Wild hummed. "Yeah... no."

"No?"

"No. I don't want to go."

Twilight's back straightened and he squared his shoulders. "This is not a debate," he said. "We need to get you to a doctor, make sure you're okay. If you want, I'll take you to Purah and-"

"Are you even listening to me?" Wild said. "I said _no_ , Tattoo-Face. So turn that dead animal you have on your shoulders in the other direction, and go."

"I did not come all this way just so you can-"

"My god!" Wild heaved. "Will you just _piss_ off already? Literally no one cares."

"I'm here, aren't I?"

"And all you've done is scream at me. It's no damn wonder I forgot you."

Twilight _snapped_.

He struck out, grabbed Wild by the front of his blue tunic, and hauled him over to the closest wall, slamming him against it. "You little-!"

Wild brought his arms down upon Twilight's elbows, collapsing them. Twilight's hold loosened, and Wild surged forward, slamming the front of his palms against Twilight's shoulders, forcing him back.

Twilight stumbled back. He gasped, and raised his arm quickly to block the kick aimed for his head.

They went at it. There was no fancy footwork, no elegant display of physical prowess. They exchanged blows like a common street brawlers, splitting knuckles and spilling blood. Twilight cursed at him, his words muddled by the split lip Wild gave him. How fucking dare he? Twilight did not come all this way, forgoeing sleep and mental well-being, just so this kid could tell him to piss off.

Eventually Wild managed to shove him back. The two stared at each other, blood oozing from their mouths, their shoulders shaking with exertion. Wild himself was sporting a fresh cut across one cheek. Splots of blood stained his blue tunic.

"Had enough?" Wild spat. "Are you done? I told you, I'm not going anywhere with you."

Twilight wiped his chin. He flinched at the sting it brought. Wild was right. He could not force him to follow. Anything less would be kidnapping. But what could he do?

His gaze went over to the cooking pot. It was still steaming.

He walked over. He had a slight limp from the kick to the knee Wild gave him.

"What are you doing?" Wild demanded.

"If you can't come with me..." Twilight began. He got to the pot. With a groan, he sat down in front of it. "Then I'll stay here with you."

"What? Who said I wanted you here?"

"You may not remember me, but I know you well enough, cub. And if there's one thing I know about you..."

He reached over and picked up the wooden spoon.

"You don't like to eat alone."

Wild stood off to the side, watching him eat in silence. He clenched and unclenched his bloody fists, internally debating. Then after a minute, he huffed and walked over to join him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly I just really wanted these two to go to blows. It's the only reason I wrote this. XD


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw: blood, violence, mild body horror

Twilight sent off a letter to the others via messenger pigeon, telling them he found Wild but it might take some time to get back. He didn't add in the detail of the memory loss. He'll inform the others when and if necessary.

"Are you seriously going to follow me around?" Wild asked.

Twilight kicked out the last of the fire of their camp. When he was done, he stepped back and brushed off the ash from his boot. "Why? Are you going to try to get rid of me?"

"You're stubborn as a mule. I feel like if I succeeded, you'll just hunt me down again."

Twilight flinched slightly at the word, _hunt_. "I know you don't remember, but I'm your friend. I'm not going to abandon you in the middle of nowhere."

"Do what you want then. I don't care."

Twilight wasn't sure what to make of this "new" Wild. His _original_ protégé was quiet, but he wasn't a wallflower. He could throw down with the best of them, he had a wicked sense of humor, and his skills with a bow was unparalleled. His memory loss made it hard for him to engage in conversation sometimes, but the others were patient with him.

A few months back, Wild confessed to Twilight that he wasn't sure if he wanted his memories back. According to Wild, the Link from a hundred years ago was a totally different person. That Link was so quiet, people thought of him as mute. That Link was so dedicated to his job as knight, he basically lost all sense of self. As Purah said, that Link would have broken his own finger if ordered.

"If I get my memories back," Wild said to him. "Will I become that person? Will I shut down again? It didn't sound like I was happy back then."

 _No,_ Twilight agreed. _He didn't._

Wild finished packing his cooking utensils and shouldered on his pack. "So tell me something, dead-animal-guy," he asked Twilight. "What's your name?"

"Twilight."

Wild snorted. "That's a girl's name."

"Before you pass judgment, do you even remember your own name?"

"Nope, don't care."

"You don't care?"

"I forgot it for a reason. If it's important, it'll come back."

Twilight couldn't fault him for that logic- no matter how insane it was. "Well, I can't keep saying _hey you_. Your name was Wild."

"I think I prefer a girl's name."

 

 

 

 

 

They walked for a few hours, only taking the occasional break. Wild lead, but it didn't seem like he had a destination on hand. When he came across a barrier, be it a mountain or wide river, he changed direction and kept going.

When they stopped for lunch, Wild pulled out a nice meal of bread, cheese, and fruit. He tossed a loaf towards Twilight before chowing down on his own share.

At least he's finally accepted Twilight was not going anywhere.

"We're going have to go hunting," said Wild through a mouthful of cheese. "Sharing my food with you has depleted my reserves drastically."

"That's fine." He and Wild always had opposite opinions on how often they should hunt. Twilight didn't care for unnecessary animal death and preferred to hunt only when needed to. But Wild's survivalist instincts told him to find food, hoard food, and eat as much as you can because it won't be there tomorrow.

Wild rolled his eyes at Twilight's response. "Like I asked for your permission..."

It didn't take long for Wild to find and locate a wild boar. He shot it through the neck, ending its life quickly and painlessly, something Twilight appreciated.

He still had to hold his tongue as Wild butchered the meat. A boar this size could've fed the entire group for a _week_. Killing an animal just for the two of them was needless, even if Wild used his Shekiah Slate to house the meat.

Just as Wild was in the midst of butchering the shoulder, a scream suddenly cut through the air.

Twilight turned, his hand immediately going to the hilt of his sword. He ran over to look. A hundred feet away down the hill from them, two people were being attacked by bokoblins. They were outnumbered, and only one of them had a sword and shield.

"Someone's being attacked!" Twilight said back to Wild. "With me, we need to help them!"

Wild continued to butcher the meat. "Have fun."

"You're not coming?"

"I don't care."

Twilight gaped at him. Another scream pierced through, catching his attention.

Damn it, he didn't have time for this. He unsheathed his sword and ran down the hill to help.

There were six bokoblins, all heavily armed to the teeth. Quickening his pace, Twilight leaped off of a log of a fallen tree, soared through the air and landed on the first bokoblin, crushing it beneath his weight.

The rest of the bokoblins stopped and stared, stunned by the sight. Even the Hylians was staring, their mouths opened in shock.

"Run!" Twilight yelled at them. He got up and swung his sword, catching another bokoblin by the neck. He kicked the body off his blade. His temporary moment of surprise now ended, he was forced him to defend as he was surrounded by the other five.

He was thankfully faster than them, catching and deflecting their clubs with ease. But his sword could not cut through their thick weapons, could not pierce their leather shields. He had to wait, wait till the Hylian civilians were too far to catch up with. When he finally confirmed they were gone from view, Twilight sheathed his sword.

He transformed.

Once again, the bokoblins were stunned into stillness. As the wolf, Twilight was stronger, faster, his fur too thick to be cut by any typical blade. In close combat, he was nearly unstoppable.

He lunged at the first bokoblin, his jaws snapping around its throat. He twisted in mid-air, blood gushing into his mouth, and with a vicious pull, tossed the bokoblin away, its throat still in Twilight's jaw. He spat it out. He turned towards the remaining bokoblins, his lips pulling back, revealing his fangs.

He planned to attack the one on the left of him- the bokoblin didn't have a shield- when suddenly something struck him in the leg. First there was nothing, then hot searing pain tore through him. He howled and his leg collapsed beneath him. He looked.

An arrow stuck out of the fat of his thigh. It was in deep, and as Twilight tried to get back to his feet, his leg refused to take his weight. He fell again.

Another bokoblin walked out of the thick of trees, a bow in its hand. Goddamn it, Twilight didn't see that one. Goddamn amateur mistake.

Movement caught his attention and he turned just in time to duck a club aimed at his head. He reached out and clamped down upon the club, wrestling it out of the bokoblin's grasp. He wasn't fast enough for the second bokoblin, and the monster struck Twilight across the head. The blow glanced off of his fur, but the bokoblin brought it back down again. Again and again and again. The pain that followed was beyond comprehension.

He was struck once more, and down he went, his eyesight going dark.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The reason this took so long was I was struggling on what to do next. I never planned this to be a long fic, and I was regretting some of the setup I had done in previous chapters. Either way, I hope ya'll enjoy what I managed to get here as I try to end this fic soon.

Twilight refused to wipe the smug look off his face. Though he was sweating profusely, his leg throbbing like hell, he laid there like a fat cat stretched out, self-satisfaction in every inch of his being.

Wild huffed. "You look like an idiot."

"You came and saved me..." Twilight said in a sing-song voice. "I knew you didn't have a heart of stone."

"Keep that up and I might change my mind..." He was busy mixing various herbs in a bowl, grinding them down into a fine paste. He stood and walked over to Twilight, kneeling down to his injured leg. The arrow was still sticking out of it.

Wild took a firm grip on the shaft. "Ready?"

In response Twilight picked up a piece of thick leather and clamped his teeth down upon it. He nodded.

Wild didn't even blink as he sharply pulled out the arrow. He ignored Twilight's horrific scream of pain and began applying the medicinal paste he made into the wound.

Twilight spat out the leather strap. "You... have terrible bedside manner..."

"You're lucky you're not going to die from infection," Wild said, wrapping the leg. "Bokoblin arrows tend to be tipped with poison."

"So you remember how bokoblins kill their foes, but you don't remember your own name?"

Wild snorted. "I'm not a doctor, I don't know how it works."

"Then perhaps we should get you to a doctor."

Wild finished wrapping. He stood up to wash his hands by the nearby river. "Bring that shit up again and I'll leave you out here."

With a groan Twilight flopped down upon his back, throwing his arms wide. "I just want to help."

"You're being annoying. I already told you, I don't care."

Twilight doubted that. Wild could've easily left him back with the bokoblins. Let the little bastards eat him or something. Instead Wild swooped in, killed the remaining of them, and pulled Twilight out of that scenario. He then stayed with unconscious hero, and even after Twilight woke, stayed with him.

And there was not a single mention about his wolf form. Curious.

"Okay. You win. I'll stop."

Wild looked at him over his shoulder. "Stop what?"

"Stop trying to persuade you to come with me," said Twilight. "I've learned my lesson. I'll stop."

Wild's gaze narrowed at him. "Is this some sort of trick?"

"No trick."

"Why are you giving up then? What changed?"

"I'm tired," Twilight said. "My leg hurts, my head hurts, and all I want to do is go home. I want you to be safe... but it's obvious I can't stop you, no matter what I do."

"Huh..." Wild said. He turned back to finish washing. "Okay. Good then."

"If you're willing, Kakariko village is not that far. You can leave me there."

Wild came back, shaking his hands of excess water. He unhooked his slate from his hip and tapped on it to bring up the map. He studied it for a second. "You're right. I guess I can escort you there tomorrow. But after this? We're done. If you try to follow me again..."

"You can kick me in my bad leg," finished Twilight, feeling triumphant. "I get it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A part of me wanted to introduce Sidon in this chapter, but besides some interesting conversations, he added nothing to the plot.

**Author's Note:**

> I am in fact claustrophobic, so I understand what Wild must be thinking.


End file.
